Steering mechanism



F.ALIQUO. STEERING MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 25| 1921.

PatentedJune 20, 1922.

3 SHEETS--SHEET F. ALIQUO.

STEERING MECHANISM 0 APPLICATION FILED JUNE 25! 1921.

Patentedlune 20, 1922.

s SHEETS-SHEET 2.

F. ALIQUO. STEERING MECHANISM. APPLICATION min JUNE 25, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Patented June 20, 1922.

SWATES FRANCESCO ALIQ'UO, OF ROME, ITALY.

STEERING MEGHANISM.

Application filed June 25,

To all to ham it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANoEsoo ALIQUO, a subject of the King of Italy, residing at Rome, in the Kingdom of Italy, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steering Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its primary object to provide improved mechanism for steering torpedoes, or other self-moving weapons, against a ship or moving target after it, shall have passed through a wake or a like abnormally disturbed condition of the water.

It frequently happens that torpedoes are lost by passing either in front of the bow or astern of the ship attacked. It is, therefore, an object of this invention to render all such torpedoes effective, especially those passing astern of a ship.

The invention also resides in an improved wake-controlled mechanism for increasing or ac'centuating a deviation in a particular direction to steer a torpedo against a moving target.

Further, the invention resides in the salient features of construction and the arrangements and combinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 shows the path of .a torpedo passing astern of a ship and returning upon it;

Figure 2 shows the improved self-steering device controlling the direction rudder under the influence of a rotary movement around an axis;

Figure 8, shows a self-steering device con trolling the direction rudder under the combined effect of two concordant and contemporaneous rotations around two different axes;

Figure 4-, illustrates the manner of connecting the constructionof Figure 3 to a gyroscope Figure 5, shows the construction of Figure connected with a gyroscope;

Figure 6 shows a detail of the connection with the gyroscope;

' Assumed, as it is shown at Figure 1 that a torpedo S has been launched against a ship a and that its course, shown by the arrow passes astern of the ship a. When it begins to enter the perturbed space of the wake it undergoes a brusque deviation which causes, the scl fitfioring device con- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 20, 1922.

1921. Serial No. 480,480.

trolling the rudder to become operative and put the rudder in such a position, to the right in Figure 1, so as to compel thev torpedo to follow the curved path 00, which brings it back against the ship. 1

A self-steering device of'the type which operates under the effect of the rotations around one axis, for instance the course deviation, on entering the wake or the heeling movement, is shown in its general arrangement in Figure 2.

The device includes a fluid pressure or servo-motor O for controlling the direction rudder connected in the usual way with the slide valve A controlled by the gyroscope 0 (Figure 5) of the usual gyroscopic steering-gear.

Furthermore there is a second slide valve B which in connection with an auxiliary inverting device D, causes the torpedo to approach the ship after it has entered the wake.

The controlling gear of the direction rudder is connected at e to the rod f of a piston 26 operating in the cylinder 9 of the servomotor C. The fluid pressure is admitted to this cylinder through the two conduits a a after passing through the inverting device D from cylinder in of the distribution valve A, in which latter-cylinder operates, in the usual way, two valves 7' j, connected by a rod 1 to the gyroscopic steering gear 0. Of the latter, in Figure 5 is shown the horizontal ring A the vertical ring A and the revolving mass M, the direction of movement of the torpedo being indicated by arrow N. Upon the body of the torpedo is pivoted at t, a forked lever if which with its fork engages a pivot 25 borne by the vertical ring A as is better shown in Figures 5 and 6 where 0 indicates the rotation axis of the vertical ring. In 8 and s on the forked lever W are pivotally connected the two links cl, d which by means of connections r, 7" transmit to rods 1 and i of the valves B and A the path oscillations.

The movements transmitted to rod 2' cause the shifting of the pistons j,, j,, with respect to the openings of the two conduits a a and accordingly as either one or the other is open the compressed air passes to either one or the other side of the piston u of the motor C thereby changing the position of the rudders so as to bring back the torpedo on its normal course According to the invention, between valve- A and the motor O is insertedan inverting apparatus D consisting of a cylinder 7 1n whlch operates a plston Z held, for instance,

by a spring on, in the normal position shown V in Figure 2. In this position two circular grooves a 12,, cut on the periphery of the piston Z, establish communication between the two cylindersh and g of the distribution valve A, and'of the motor 0, through conduits a Q The cylinder communicates also through'conc'luit b, b, and 6 with.

in communication with conduit a, or con-' duit' (1,, the pistons p, and p covering the openings 5 andb of conduit 6 in the valve B. But when the torpedo enters the wake andunder'goes a'brusque and violent deviation either piston p or 9, uncovers also the respective port Z), 6 to admit compressed air from conduit '0 into'con'duit' b and the cylinder is. This results inthe piston Z being forced tothe left against spring m.

Piston Z is provided with two crossed channels 8 which when thepiston'is in its extreme left position, cross or invert the communications between cylinders h and 9, so thatpiston u, insteadof rectifying the torpedo, willjact to amplify and maintain the direction taken by the torpedo, bringing it upon the path which will lead it back against the ship attacked.

This 'manoeuvre, which is begun and accomplished in a'normal way owing to the effect of the brusque and strong deviations of the torpedo caused by theaction'oit' the wake'is very practical.

hen it is desired to combine together the action of the contemporary rotations around two different axes, for instance a-round'thc vertical axis upon entering the wake and the longitudinal axis during the crossing. of the wake, the arrangement shown in Figure 4: may be adopted.

In such case the apparatus, besides the inverting device Dsimilar to that of Figure 2, the usual distribution valve A, and the rod z' of whose doublep'iston is-connected to the gyroscope of theordinary gyroscopic Steering device as shown 1n Figure 2, includes also two slide valves of the self-steering device," one B, thep iston .rod g of which'is also connectedtothe gyroscope of thelgyroscopic steering device in the manner; al ready shown fo'rslide valve {3' in Figure 2, and one B"control'led'"by' the rolling gyrob are arranged in series in the compressed air conduits Z), and Z/ from conduit 0 or a and there'fore both rods q, 9 must be simultaneously shifted to a sufficient extent in order that the compressed air may have free passage through this way. If, as it has been assumed rod together with rod 71 is connected to the gyroscope of the gyroscopic steering device in the manner shown by Figure 5, then a right side movement of rod 71 correspondsto a movement towards the left ofrod g. on its turn the eccentric t is mounted in such "a way on the horizontal ring 2 of'the rollinggyroscope, that to said movement of rod i towards the right side,

ther'ecorresponds a downward'movement of rod Piston p and rod 9" uncovers the opening b wvhile plunger p, lowers to uncover the openings 6 and b and inflthis manner the compressed air which comes from supply conduit 0 through opening 6' reaches conduit Z) and then cylinder 70' to the right ofpiston L ofthe inverting device D to move the latter to the left against the action of the spring m. In this way the compressed air is delivered through conduit t, which is uncovered by plunger Z and conduit A to the left side of the servoin'otor' while the conduits a, and a are 'closedby plungers Z a'nd'Z regardless of the action of valve A. I v

In conclusion it isapparent that the utilization of the wake, as a; means of bringing back the torpedo towards a missed'target, in practice is equivalent to a prolongation of the target towards the stern'of the craft for a length equal to the efficacious length of the wake. It follows that by this means not only ensured the effect of a shot carefully directed against the target from a distance at which bythe sole effect of the normal swerving tolerated the torpedo would be lost astern, butalso the shots deliveredwith less precision on account of defective aiming or mistaken reckoning of the speed and direction of the target, which permits in naval engagements a rapidity of execution and a launching distance whichwithoutthe use ofthe devices accordingjto this invention, would lead to an unprofitable loss of a'greater number of torp'e does launched.

What is claimed is:

1; A torpedo steering mechanism coinprising a rectifying motor and means operable by an abnormal deviation of the torpedo for reversing the action of the motor to increase and maintain the deviation.

2. In a torpedo steering mechanism, a rectifying motor, means for admitting compressed fluid thereto for operating the same upon a deviation of the torpedo, and a reversing gear operable upon an abnormal deviation to reverse the action of the motor.

3. In a torpedo steering mechanism a rectifying motor, a gyroscopic controlled valve for admitting fluid pressure to the motor for operating the same upon deviations of the torpedo to return the latter to its proper course, a reversing gear interposed between the valve and motor for reversing the action of the latter, and a gyroscopic controlled valve operable upon a brusque deviation of the torpedo for admitting air to the reversing gear to render the same operable.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses, at Rome, in the Kingdom oi Italy, this 6th day of June, 1921.

FRANCESCO ALIQUO.

WVitnesses LELLEN GAHRNELK, WILHELM SoHMrD. 

